Skip to main content

Sesame Chicken

We're always up for Chinese - especially a healthier version. 

Here's a recipe for Sesame Chicken I ripped from a magazine and tweaked a bit.  The whole family enjoyed it. You could do it as a freezer meal, too - maybe whip up enough for dinner tonight and one for the freezer or a friend!

Sesame Chicken

5 tbsp. soy sauce (we prefer low-sodium)
4 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. honey
1-1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into about 1" chunks
6 tsp. canola oil
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/4 c. chicken broth (we prefer low-sodium, organic)
1 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. chili paste
2 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted


Whisk together 3 tbsp. soy sauce, 2 tsp, sesame oil, and honey in a bowl.  Add the chicken pieces, and toss to coat.  Marinate at least 20 minutes.  Remove chicken from marinade (using a slotted spoon to let excess marinade drip off).  Heat 2 tbsp. canola oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Cook chicken in 2 batches, turning only 1-2 times, until chicken is browned.  Add additional canola oil between batches as needed.  Put chicken on a plate and set aside. 

Whisk together broth, sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, chili paste and remaining soy sauce in a bowl, set aside.  Wipe out skillet, then heat 2 tbsp. canola oil.  Add scallions, garlic and ginger, cooking about 1 minute. Add sauce mixture, and cook until thickened, stirring often.  Stir in remaining 2 tsp, of sesame oil. 

Add chicken back into skillet, and heat through, stirring to coat with sauce.  Top with sesame seeds.  Serve over brown rice with some steamed snow peas on the side.

For a freezer meal:  mix together chicken marinade, and freeze in a storage bag.  In a separate bag, mix together the sauce ingredients, (saute and add the garlic, ginger & scallions once cooled), and freeze.  Add a snack-sized bag with the sesame seeds.  Include prep instructions.  Thaw in fridge to prepare.  You could include frozen snow peas and some cooked and frozen brown rice for sides.
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Asian-Inspired Slaw

I tried a recipe from the "try it eventually" folder last night for some Asian chicken sliders, and they were decent, but unremarkable.  It was still a fruitful effort, however, because I found a super simple, tasty side to serve in the future (although the kids were not fans). I guestimated on the measurements, since I just chopped and added - do what looks right to you.  I made about 1/2 of this recipe, since it was just for 2 of us, but you could easily multiply it for a larger crowd, too. Asian-Inspired Slaw 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice 2 tbsp. EVOO 1/2 c. cilantro, minced pinch of kosher salt a few turns of freshly ground black pepper 2 c. red cabbage, shredded 1/2 c. carrot, julienned or grated on the large holes of a box grater 1/2 c. red onion, finely diced (could do thin slices if you prefer) 1/2 c. red bell pepper, julienned or diced You could get crazy here, and add some sliced scallions, toasted sesame seeds, minced jalapeno, garlic, etc.  I'll be e...
Read more

Classic Hashbrown Casserole

This one is kind of a classic. I cleaned it up a little bit - you can adjust things to your liking. Hashbrown Casserole 1 16 oz. package frozen hashbrown potatoes (shredded or cubed - I prefer shredded) 3/4 - 1 c. sour cream (light works fine, and you can use less - depends on how creamy you like it) 1  recipe cream soup base 1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted (you can use less or omit if you like) 1/2 medium onion, minced 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (save a little to sprinkle on top) 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 1/2 tsp. kosher salt Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9" x 13" baking dish with nonstick spray or butter. In a large bowl, combine ingredients, and stir to combine. Spread mixture in pan, and bake for about 30 minutes covered in foil, then uncover and cook about 15 minutes more or until hashbrowns are cooked, cheese is melted, and top begins to brown.  To freeze: Pr epare ingredients as above, spread in prepared foil pan, cover tightly with fo...
Read more

Skillet Chicken, Broccoli, Ziti & Asiago Cheese

We ALL really love this recipe. This is based on a recipe from the good people at Cooks Illustrated - I am grateful to them for getting my kids to happily eat sundried tomatoes and broccoli!  I've also made this in a huge batch and served it family-style for a dinner party (and got to use my giant Pampered Chef Simple Additions square pasta bowl (it's really big), and it was AWESOME).  If people could have licked the bowl clean, they might have - there was NOTHING left. Try this, and love it: Chicken, Broccoli, Penne and Asiago Cheese  Skillet 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch squares 2 tbsp. vegetable oil (or olive oil - just don't heat that to smoking) 1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup) 3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tbsp.) 1/4 tsp. dried oregano 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes 8 oz. ziti or penne (2 /12 cups) 3 c. water 2 c. low-sodium chicken broth 3-4 c. broccoli florets 1/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, rinsed and chop...
Read more